


The Witching Hour

by MellytheHun



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Falling In Love, Fluff, Friendship, Getting Together, Getting to Know Each Other, Humor, M/M, Music, Radio, Romance, Tumblr Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-30
Updated: 2016-05-30
Packaged: 2018-07-11 02:10:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7021741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MellytheHun/pseuds/MellytheHun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The radio host AU no one ever asked for but I have written anyway because sometimes when DJ’s play several sad songs in a row, I worry about their mental health and then this AU was born</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Witching Hour

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Русский available: [Колдовской час](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8420338) by [Rishima_Kapur](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rishima_Kapur/pseuds/Rishima_Kapur)



> As a side note - I worked in an animal hospital for a while where I actually had this graveyard shift, so it is accurate, I promise. Maybe not a vet’s office, but… it’s faNFICTION SO

##  **Monday**

Scott works late hours at the veterinarian’s office most nights of the summer and, with nothing else to do, Stiles drives the forty-five minutes out to the office to goof off while Scott cleans and works. Stiles likes to let the animals out of their kennels and play with them on the floor while Scott sterilizes operating equipment and in companionable silence, they listen to the radio.

Scott’s absurd graveyard shift is from 8pm to 4am, so they listen to a lot of talk radio and when they don’t feel like listening to debate or sleepy commercial-free music, they listen to _The Witching Hour_ on CF107.9. It’s hosted by Laura Hale and it doesn’t start til 3am. Once she’s on the air, Scott and Stiles will pause in whatever they’re doing or saying and listen to her croon softly through the speakers.

“Good evening, listeners and welcome to _The Witching Hour_ ,” Laura will say - she’ll announce current astrological news, comment on that evening’s particular moon phase like it’s a weather report and she’ll take callers, give advice and leave all topics of discussion open (except for politics and religion, blessedly) and when she plays music, it’s always some mellow indie stuff neither Scott or Stiles have heard before.

When the clock on the wall of the back room ticks to 3am, a voice certainly does come through the speakers, but it’s not Laura’s.

“Uhm… hi, this is Derek. I’m Laura’s brother. She’s taken some leave days and asked me to substitute, so… to be honest, I’m not really sure how this works. I’m gonna play some music and keep the lines open. Fair warning, I don’t give as good advice as my sister does. So, uhm… welcome to _The Witching Hour_.”

[Saturn by Sleeping At Last](http://loserchildhotpants.tumblr.com/post/144880632120/sleeping-at-last-saturn) starts playing and Scott and Stiles exchange a curious look with each other.

“Laura never mentioned she had a brother,” Stiles comments.

Scott shrugs, “she gives out advice - not personal information.”

Stiles smirks, “maybe she just didn’t want the world to know her brother was super awkward?”

They both chuckle and while Scott goes back to cleaning equipment, Stiles wanders into the kennel and picks a three-legged cat to pull into his lap on the floor and pet. The first song is followed by a phone call, asking who Derek is and where Laura is - it’s like a disgruntled customer asking to speak with a manager. Stiles gets defensive on Derek’s behalf, telling the room that the caller should fuck off and go easy on him; Scott agrees and tells the radio, “it’s his first time doing this, sheesh.” Derek seems unbothered, though.

The next song that plays is [Rising Sun by Prince of Spain](http://loserchildhotpants.tumblr.com/post/143405587165/eleanorhannna-rising-sun-prince-of-spain). Another strangely sad song.

It’s not too far off from the type of music Laura plays, but it’s all a different tone. Stiles thinks it’s interesting that there’s such a difference between hosts. Mostly imperceptible but to sensitive ears and regular listeners. Rising Sun was followed by [Foxbeard by Monsters Calling Home](http://loserchildhotpants.tumblr.com/post/143405543255/6eau-i-knew-a-man-who-found-a-forest-oversees). Then [Slow Coming by Benjamin Booker](http://loserchildhotpants.tumblr.com/post/142434266535/jorenob-benjamin-booker-slow-coming). Then [Me by The 1975](http://loserchildhotpants.tumblr.com/post/142259419305/aaronaaddorisio-oh-i-was-thinking-about) and Stiles… sort of starts to worry?

For the first time, he calls in to the station and Scott watches him with intrigue from across the room.

“Hey, you’re on the air of _The Witching Hour_ with Derek Hale.”

“Hey, Derek, my name is Stiles - I’m a regular listener to _The Witching Hour_ , uh… I just wanted to ask… like… are you okay, dude?”

It’s bizarre for Stiles to hear his voice echoed back from the radio on the countertop. There’s a pause and then Derek replies, “yeah, I’m fine. Why?”

He decides it’s even _more_ bizarre to hear someone’s voice in his ear speak identically through another speaker, knowing a lot of people are listening in to their conversation.

“You’re just… I dunno, you’re playing super sad songs and I… was… worried, I guess?”

“Oh,” Derek replies, “I - Laura told me she doesn’t use a playlist, so, there was nothing for me to hook up here. It’s just some of my own library on shuffle. I… didn’t mean to worry you?”

Stiles smiles, his heart a little warmer.

“No, man, it’s good - you don’t have to apologize or whatever. Is Laura alright?”

“Yeah, she’s fine,” Derek answers, “She just had to take some personal days and she _really_ hates her intern, so she begged me to come down here and sit in her booth for her.”

Stiles laughs and while he’s never been a fan of his own voice, hearing his laughter through the radio makes him cringe and makes Scott chuckle.

“Yikes. That’s - sorry you had to hear that. It’s weird - this is my first time calling in, I’ve never heard my voice on the radio before -”

Stiles moves his cellphone slightly more away from his mouth and says to Scott, “you heard that, right? Dude, is my laugh really that bad? Why did you never tell me?”

“I think your laugh is nice,” Derek says.

Stiles keeps his eyes on Scott, blushing a little. Scott moves his eyebrows playfully and Stiles rolls his eyes and looks away. He moves the phone back to best speak into it and mutters, “oh… thanks, man.”

“So, it’s your first time calling in and you decided to call because you thought I might be sad?”

Smirking and faking a stern expression, Stiles defends himself, “hey - don’t you go accusing me of being a decent person, alright? I am a _moderately_ good person at best. You, though, have neglected to talk about the phase of the moon tonight. Have you never listened to your sister’s show? You’re slackin’, Derek. Slackin’.”

Scott covers his mouth to keep from laughing and Stiles winks at him, scratching behind the ears of the cat in his lap.

“She talks about the moon?”

“ _Yes_ , dude, oh my God, it’s _**The Witching Hour**_. You have clearly done none of your homework. I’ll help you out, man. Every Monday night she explains the moon phase and any cool astrological news - like, comets that might be visible that night or the next day or something. She plays three songs between taking calls, has a new flavor or brand of tea to recommend every week on Thirst Thursdays, does Ticket Tuesday - which is when she plays a game like ‘would you rather,’ or prompts a question to which callers answer and after choosing her favorite answer, she gives them free tickets to some upcoming show in the area. Every Wednesday she does Weird of the Week, where she shares some bizarre-o story major news outlets didn’t cover, Friendship or Family Friday which is when callers can request songs to be played for their family members or friends or significant others and they can talk about what the song means to them and junk. Then there’s Sleepover Saturdays where callers can ask personal questions about her and Confessional Sundays, which is when she makes a confession to something - sometimes it’s big or small, doesn’t matter, just confesses a secret and callers do the same and every night when she signs off, she says goodnight to someone. Like, she chooses at random - one night she said goodnight to your dad, one night she said goodnight to the janitor at the public library, another night she said goodnight to the guy that let her in his lane during rush hour -”

“Okay, I get it,” Derek interrupts, sounding overwhelmed, “Alright, so when this phone call is over, I’ll play three songs, then take another caller? Then -”

“The moon, dude!” Stiles scolds, “It’s Moon-day! Moon. Monday. Monday. Moon. You see where I’m going with this?”

Derek sighs with aggravation, “well, what do you want me to say about it?”

“Just - tell us that it’s waning tonight!”

Derek says blandly, “…the moon is waning tonight.”

“Oh my God.”

“What?”

“You have no pizazz. No _unf_. No pizazzy _unf_.”

“Tell him he needs more pep and zing,” Scott says, folding small animal blankets.

“Yeah - Scott says you need more pep and zing.”

“Who is Scott?”

“Scott is my bestie. He’s listening too - we listen to _The Witching Hour_ together every night. Say hi, Scott -” Stiles replies, then holds his phone out in Scott’s direction.

“Hi!” Scott greets, throwing his voice as far as it will go, “I’m Scott! You need more pep and zing!”

“Okay, I’m getting off the phone now -”

“Awww, no, dude, did we ruin everything?” Stiles asks, trying hard not to cackle, “Was it too much showbiz jargon? Was it Scott? Did Scott offend you? You can tell me if you hate Scott.”

“I’m taking you off the air now -”

“Aww, okay, sourpuss!” Stiles jokes, snickering, “Remember to have a nice sign-off, though!”

There’s a pause where Stiles swears he hears Derek sigh in annoyance and then he’s offline. Derek doesn’t even have a segue back into playing music. He does, however, seem to make a point of playing more sad songs.

When Derek signs off during Stiles’ drive home, he wishes Laura a goodnight.

+

##  **Tuesday**

“So, I’ve got two tickets here to see Cage the Elephant live at the amphitheater in August. Uhm. I hate ‘would you rather,’ so… uh, tell me something you’re sorry for.”

Scott and Stiles exchange a look and Derek continues, “tell me something you haven’t been able to say to someone. Something you’re sorry for. If you can’t apologize to them for whatever reason, send the apology to me in the next hour and I’ll, uh… I’ll give the tickets to the best answer, I guess.”

Scott and Stiles bounce ideas off of each other about what would best get them the tickets while the music plays - Scott considers apologizing for punching Garret Krosk in the face freshman year of high school, but then he laughs about how crooked Garret’s nose has been since then and Stiles tells him that he might not sound all that genuine about it if he calls in.

At some point, they come up with some convoluted story about how they stole royal jewels and are apologizing for that. Stiles considers apologizing for the damage to public infrastructure while he is out saving the world as Spiderman, Scott does a terrible impression of Bill Clinton’s apology speech during his impeachment but then they both get very distracted with fictional apologies and wind up laughing themselves to tears.

“Hey, you’re on the air. It’s _The Witching Hour_ and you’re speaking with Derek. What’s your name and what’s something you’d like to apologize for?”

A feminine throat clears and says, “I’m Jenn. I’d like to apologize to my dad. When I was a teenager, I stole money from his wallet - not to spend on anything special. Just… to have it. He worked two jobs and he was a single parent with three kids. I stopped eventually, but… I’ve always felt so awful about it, you know? Like my dad doesn’t know I’m a thief. I’m in my thirties now and I think, rationally, he’d probably forgive me if I told him, but I still feel like my hands are dirty for it.”

“Hey,” Derek says gently, “it’s okay. We all make mistakes - especially during those formative years. You made a mistake and when you realized what you were doing was wrong, you stopped. _That’s_ who you really are - you’re not a thief. You’re someone who was a kid that made a mistake. Your apology is accepted, Jenn. Don’t let this weigh on you anymore - you’re a lot more than a lapse of judgement from years ago and I’m willing to bet your dad would agree with me.”

There’s a smile in Jenn’s voice when they reply, “thanks, Derek.”

Scott and Stiles look wide-eyed at each other.

“Whoa, that was like… actually super comforting?” Stiles remarks, “I didn’t think he’d be good at this.”

“Me neither,” Scott agrees.

More songs play, [Last Train by Dawn Golden](http://loserchildhotpants.tumblr.com/post/139817181020/diiscotechjuliet-last-train-dawn-golden), [Always Gold by Radical Face](http://loserchildhotpants.tumblr.com/post/138173595135/toujourslor-radical-face-always-gold-and), [Love Don’t Live Here Anymore by City & Colour](http://loserchildhotpants.tumblr.com/post/121119477040/ayme-v-you-abandoned-me-love-dont-live-here) and then Derek takes another caller.

“Hey, you’re on the air. It’s _The Witching Hour_ and you’re speaking with Derek. What’s your name and what’s something you’d like to apologize for?”

“My name is James,” the caller says - their signal is bad, making their voice crackle a little, “I didn’t grow up here. I grew up on the east coast and I went to a really high-ranking high school. Uhm, there was this - sort of social climate, I guess? I don’t know. A lot of snobs is what I’m trying to say. And I was friends with them cause I could afford to be. There was one day one of these guys I called my friend - he asked this girl out as a joke. He told me and our whole group about it. We all knew what he was going to do, but… I didn’t stop him. He did it in the hallway between classes where a bunch of people overheard it. It was humiliating for her. I don’t know her name. But I want to apologize to her. I could’ve stopped him and I didn’t. I’m sorry for that.”

“You don’t remember her name?” Derek asks with cautious curiosity.

James replies, “no. And I’ve been too guilty about it to even look in my yearbooks to try and fine her name. She had long, dark hair, though. Thin-framed glasses and everyday wore one of those plastic chokers that were really popular in the 90′s? She was sort of twiggy. And quiet. She changed schools like a week later… she was being bullied by a lot of people. She was so… harmless, you know? She spent all of her time just minding her own business and people still… it’s just been hard. Knowing that I was a part of that day for her, whether she knew me or not. I’ve spent a lot of time wondering if I had stopped it all or just… done something, maybe she wouldn’t have moved. Maybe we could have been friends. I really wish I could apologize to her.”

“Your apology is accepted here, James,” Derek answers, “When you were that age, in that situation, you didn’t have the tools to intervene. It’s okay that you didn’t know what to do. In retrospect, it’s really easy to punish ourselves for inaction when there was no way for us to know what to do or how to do what needed to be done. You sound like a decent person, James. Don’t let it haunt you.”

“Thanks, Derek.”

One song plays before Derek picks up the line again.

“You called while we weren’t live - you’re on the air now. Would you mind telling us your name and why you’re calling again?”

A timid, feminine voice comes through, “yeah, uhm, hi - my name is Devin. I’m the girl that went to school with your other caller, James. I wanted to say that - if you’re still listening, James, I remember you. And I remember that day too. A lot was going on in my life and I want you to know I don’t blame you for what happened and I accept your apology. Thank you, James - and thank you, Derek.”

“Holy shit,” Stiles says in a whisper.

“Thanks for calling, Devin.”

When she hangs up a few more songs play, then someone apologizes for stealing a kid’s bike in middle school, another person apologizes for falsely accusing an old friend of stealing a pair of earrings and another person apologizes to a librarian at their local college campus that they apparently make crazy, always being too loud, falling asleep at computer desks and handing books back late.

Scott announces he’s going to hose down the recently vacated kennels in the back and Stiles tells Scott he’s going to the bathroom, but really, he leaves the back room to walk outside for better reception. It rings three times and then he hears;

“Hey, you’re on the air. It’s _The Witching Hour_ and you’re speaking with Derek. What’s your name and what’s something you’d like to apologize for?”

“Hey, Derek - it’s Stiles again.”

“If you’ve come to apologize for harassing me last night, I’ll have you know right now I intend to hold onto that grudge a little longer,” Derek jokes drily.

Stiles makes a soft half-laugh and then says, “uh, no - I… not that, uhm. Around seven years ago, my mom died. It was really… _really_ hard on my dad. I was still a little kid, though and my ADHD was going untreated and I had this episode of hyperactivity and ran around the house - the point is, I accidentally broke a hand mirror my mother used to own. It was on top of their dresser and I tried to climb it and it fell off and broke. I was too scared to tell my dad what happened, so I hid it. He blamed himself for it going missing - he thought he maybe moved it or something. But it was me. And… I’m sorry for breaking it. I’m sorry for making being a newly single parent even more difficult with how hyper I’d get and I’m sorry for lying to him about it.”

There’s a brief pause and then Derek responds calmly, “you were a kid, Stiles. It was your job to be mischievous and restless. I know you probably felt like you wanted to protect your dad, but that wasn’t your place. You were his kid and it was your job to be a kid. Your apology is accepted for breaking the mirror - I’m sure your mother would have been more worried about how upset you were over it being broken than anything else.”

Stiles nods even though he knows Derek can’t see it, his eyes getting glassy.

“Your apology is accepted for lying to your dad, but you don’t ever need to apologize for being a kid or for having ADHD. In fact - I apologize to you, on behalf of whoever made you feel like that was a choice or flaw on your part.”

Stiles chokes a little and Derek hears it, but asks, “you accept my apology?”

“Yeah,” Stiles says, wiping his nose on his jacket sleeve, blinking up at the night sky, “yeah. Thanks, Derek. Thank you.”

“No problem.”

“Hey - do you, uh… do you have something you want to apologize for?”

There’s another pause and Stiles thinks he hears Derek scratch what must be scruff on his face.

“There’s… a lot I’m sorry for. I don’t think I’m ready to be forgiven.”

“That’s okay too,” Stiles assures.

There’s a click and Stiles knows he’s off the air, but still on the line with Derek. He waits for Derek to speak first.

“Next Monday, come by the studio anywhere between midnight and four to pick up your tickets.”

Stiles laughs, partially giddy, still sad and a lot surprised. Derek gives him the address to go to and when Stiles comes back in the room, he and Scott make eye-contact, but say nothing.

That night, Derek wishes Devin and James a goodnight.

+

##  **Wednesday**

“Gary, Indiana is home to what a lot of people call the Demon House. More than a poltergeist, people think there is an _actual_ demon in the house. There are a lot of reports and accounts of weird shit happening there; people being thrown around by invisible forces, having unnatural, intrusive thoughts of violence and murder, actually acting out violently with no history of violence or mental illness and a bunch of other shit. That’s not what makes this story Weird of the Week, though - the _weird_ part is, [a guy who hosts a paranormal show bought the house and is demolishing it](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2Fentry%2Fdemon-house-torn-down_us_56b1fcdfe4b08069c7a58370&t=YWY1MmEwNWMwNTFiMDkzMTRjMDk4ZjIwYjM2MTEyYjUxOTg1N2QzNyxzUG9vZkJHZA%3D%3D).”

“That seems counterintuitive,” Stiles mumbles, draped lazily over the examination table.

“Seems counterintuitive, right?”

Scott laughs while he sweeps and Stiles grins at the ceiling.

“I mean, if paranormal stuff is what you’re into, this house is the jackpot, right? If you make _your living_ off of paranormal stuff and paranormal stuff that can be _recorded_ or otherwise accounted by other people - why would you demolish it? The guy taking it down, Zach Bagans, reported that while he was living there, he experienced some really dark stuff. He’s obviously biased, because he already believes in the paranormal, but he seems pretty convinced that there’s something  _intelligent_ in the house. Maybe, with a name like Bagans, he’s just compelled to destroy anything dark that winds up in his possession.”

Stiles shoots upright, points at the radio and shouts, “LORD OF THE RINGS! LORD OF THE RINGS JOKE! HE MADE _A LORD OF THE RINGS JOKE_!”

Scott wiggles a finger in his ear and says, deliberately softly, “yes, Stiles, I got it.”

“Anyway - there’s a link to the article on _The Witching Hour_ blog and you can see for yourself if you like.”

Then [That’s Alright by Laura Mvula](http://loserchildhotpants.tumblr.com/post/124715145735/knowledgeequalsblackpower-i-will-never-be-what) starts playing. Stiles throws his arms up and says, still too loudly, “how can he just go to music from that?! ‘Hey, there’s a demon house in Indiana, I am a secret nerd and I have no statement to make on whether or not I believe the demon is real’??”

Scott opens his mouth to reply, but Stiles holds his hand up to him and pulls out his cellphone, flopping back down on the table. Scott sighs and goes back to sweeping; when Derek picks up, the song is still playing, so Stiles knows he won’t be taken on air, which is fine, he just has a bone to pick with Derek anyway.

“Stiles.”

“HOW CAN YOU NOT - wait… how did you know it was me?”

“I recognized your number.”

“Oh…”

There’s a pause.

“Were you calling for a specific reason?”

“YES,” Stiles shouts, “YES, I WAS. HOW CAN YOU JUST BE SO BLASE ABOUT A DEMON HOUSE??? I HAVE EIGHT QUESTIONS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD ALREADY!”

“Just so you know, I can hear you fine,” Derek says blandly, “and it’s not my job to insert my opinion, I was just supposed to report some weird news. This isn’t my job _at all_ , actually.”

“Derek, man, you’re _killin’_ me,” Stiles groans, covering his eyes with his arm dramatically.

Scott walks up to the table and takes Stiles’ phone from him, saying directly to Derek, “hey - it’s Scott. I apologize for Stiles. He’s passionate about the supernatural and he was pretty psyched that you made a Lord of the Rings joke. He probably just wants to dork out with you.”

“HEY - THE SUPERNATURAL IS INHERENTLY FASCINATING, IT’S NOT DORKY TO LIKE, SCOTT. AND PLUS, DORKY IS _IN_ RIGHT NOW. IT’S PART OF THE ZEITGEIST NOW. _YOU’RE_ THE OUTSIDER. YOU HAVEN’T EVEN WATCHED STAR WARS, IT’S LIKE YOU WERE RAISED IN THE WOODS OR SOMETHING.”

“You’ve never watched Star Wars?” Derek asks.

“Oh my God,” Scott sighs.

“DON’T _EVEN_ \- SCOTT - DOES DEREK AGREE WITH ME? YOU ARE OBLIGATED TO TELL ME IF HE IS AGREEING WITH ME RIGHT NOW.”

“He is very loud,” Derek comments.

Scott snorts and mumbles, “tell me about it.”

“NO. YOU TWO ARE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE INSIDE JOKES I AM NOT A PART OF. GIVE ME MY PHONE BACK.”

[Unbound by Cathedrals](http://loserchildhotpants.tumblr.com/post/143816987055/cathedrals-unbound) starts playing while Stiles and Scott struggle for the phone. When Stiles gets his phone back, he’s breathless and sitting up again. He straightens out his jacket and asks, “you agree with me, though, right?”

“I can’t even be sure what you’re asking me about.”

“Oh my God, Derek, you’re useless - that Scott should be put in a cone of shame until he watches all of the Star Wars episodes! He has called the Force ‘Space Magic,’ for Christ’s sake! It’s sacrilegious!”

Scott yells out from across the room, loud enough for Derek to hear, “IT’S MAGIC. IT MAKES STUFF FLOAT, IT’S MAGIC!”

“Do you hear what ignorance I’m dealing with here?” Stiles says disbelievingly into the phone.

“Anyone who doesn’t acknowledge Obi-wan as a patron saint is blaspheming, so yes, I agree with you.”

Stiles pauses, eyes wide, “oh my God, Obi-wan is my _favorite character_. I shit you not, if Obi-wan were real and asked me to marry him, I wouldn’t because I my heart would literally implode and I would die before I could accept. Literally.”

“Literally,” Derek chuckles.

Stiles laughs quietly back and says, “you know, when I was like a little kid, I had a bathrobe that had little R2D2′s on it and I’d wear it around the house just to dramatically shrug it off at every given opportunity.”

Derek laughs and replies, “hey - it’s not Confessional Sunday, that information is out of line.”

Stiles kicks his feet around, smiling at the floor, “yeah, but Obi-wan would have been so proud of how dramatically I took off my robes.”

“The man _did_ appreciate a dramatic uncloaking,” Derek agrees.

There’s a beep and Derek says, “oh - I got another caller. I’ll, uh - talk to you later?”

“Yeah,” Stiles says without meaning to, “Yeah, I’ll talk to you later, Derek.”

Stiles stares down at his phone when the screen goes off, smiling stupidly at his own reflection.

“Dude, you have such a crush on Derek.”

“What!?” Stiles exclaims, voice three octaves higher than usual, “I do not! He’s just a voice on the radio!”

“Doesn’t mean you can’t like him,” Scott smirks, “And you totally do.”

Stiles scowls at Scott, his cheeks heating up, “you’re being an ass.”

Just as he says that, the radio starts playing [It’s Magic by Pilot](http://loserchildhotpants.tumblr.com/post/144677280405/matchmusicbox-80-its-magic-single-1974). It’s so different from the usual music played, they both know it’s a shout-out to Scott. They look at each other in shock and then start laughing hysterically.

That night, before signing off, Derek wishes Tom Hardy a goodnight. He chuckles, very clearly fatigued and says, “he just deserves a goodnight. He works hard.”

Stiles laughs at the radio and shakes his head fondly.

+

##  **Thursday**

Scott definitely notices Stiles glancing at the clock every three minutes, but he’s kind enough not to say anything about it. When Derek finally signs on, Stiles finds himself energized and excited. He spent the day trying to find Derek Hale’s face anywhere - he has no Facebook, no Tumblr, no Twitter, no Instagram, cannot be Googled and frankly, Stiles is thinking that Google is making up how many Derek Hales live in California.

Point is, he couldn’t find a photo of Derek. His voice is nice - he can admit that much. Laura’s voice is calming too, but Derek’s voice has a romantic quality to it. When he signs on, he sounds much more comfortable and there’s a little rasp; inexplicably, it reminds Stiles of a dark red wine.

“The moon is high, the stars are bright, the air is warm and three A.M is just upon us. Good evening, everyone and welcome to _The Witching Hour_.”

“Hey, that’s pretty good,” Scott says.

Stiles nods his agreement, but doesn’t reply.

“I don’t really drink tea, so I don’t have any recommendations for anyone tonight. I’m pretty sure the only tea I’ve had is that basic plain Lipton tea for a sore throat. I know people really love Earl Grey, but I can’t even smell any of those flavors without gagging. Seriously, opening my sister’s kitchen cabinets is an olfactory nightmare. I did like that English Breakfast tea… I don’t remember what brand it was, though. Sorry about not having any tea knowledge. I did, however, have vanilla Sprite for the first time this week and I can highly recommend it.”

“Isn’t that your favorite drink on the planet?” Scott asks.

Stiles moans like he’s upset and falls across the floor theatrically.

“Uggghhhh...”

“Pfft,” Scott snorts, “Told you you liked him.”

“UuuugggghhHHHHHH -”

[Talk is Cheap by Chet Faker](http://loserchildhotpants.tumblr.com/post/102473619015/chet-faker-talk-is-cheap) plays first and Stiles is irrationally turned on. He decides he should just stay on the ground and be quiet so the universe doesn’t notice him and find some way of humiliating him. Liking someone _this_ much - someone he has never even _seen_ \- is sort of a new low for him. He wonders if he’s just lonely. He’s not sure he what he wants to believe.

Three callers bring in their own suggestions for teas and Derek seems genuinely thankful to them - Stiles thinks he’s probably not the only person in the area that likes hearing Derek talk to them. Just his voice is dreamy.

After [Reflections by Misterwives](http://loserchildhotpants.tumblr.com/post/104126885765/misterwives-reflections) plays, Derek’s voice shocks Stiles into scrambling up to his feet.

“Stiles, you out there tonight? I’ve made it too far into the show without hearing from you. I was positive you’d call to chastise me about not liking tea. But maybe you don’t either? Call in. Let me know you’re alright. Can’t do the show without you.”

No segue, Derek just puts on [California by Phantom Planet](http://loserchildhotpants.tumblr.com/post/108943335580/phantom-planet-california) and has Stiles’ heart thumping wildly. Stiles looks at Scott, who’s grinning almost manically.

“Dude!”

Stiles’ mouth opens and nothing comes out, he just moves his arms in a weird way and Scott laughs.

“Call him!”

“I - O-okay! Alright!” Stiles stammers, fumbling for his phone.

It only rings once.

“There you are,” Derek greets.

Stiles laughs nervously, glancing occasionally at Scott’s raptured expression. It’s only making him more anxious, so he turns his back to Scott who he hears giggle.

“Y-yup, I’m - yeah. I’m here. Here I am.”

“No tea recommendations for me?”

“N-no,” Stiles answers, willing himself to calm down, “I don’t really drink tea either.”

“You doing okay?”

“Yeah,” Stiles replies too quickly, “No, yeah, I’m fine. I’m… wow, I sound jittery, don’t I? Don’t put me on the air, I can barely stand the memory of what my voice sounded like over the radio from the first time I called.”

Derek chuckles, “no worries, I won’t put you on the air if you don’t want me to. It was just weird to not hear from you. I was worried you weren’t listening.”

“No - I never skip a night, I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”

Stiles can at least admit to himself that the last part of that confession probably wasn’t true until that past Monday.

There’s a smile in Derek’s voice when he replies, “good, I’m glad. Well, I told you I can’t do the show without your help. You’ve gotta give me something for Thirst Thursday.”

Scott whispers and laughs toward Stiles, “dude, tell him your only thirst is for him!”

Stiles blushes darkly and whips around to glare at Scott and shush him.

“Scott there?”

“Yeah, Scott’s always here,” Stiles responds, “I, uhm… I don’t know if I have anything good to recommend… you already recommended my favorite drink ever.”

“Vanilla sprite?”

“Yeah,” Stiles says, scratching the base of his skull like a nervous tic, “I went through an experimental phase in middle school, trying to find the most perfect caffeine combinations. I’m thinking I probably took at least five years off my life. Can’t imagine what my heart went through. Pretty sure I hallucinated through any palpitations.”

Derek laughs again and asks, “did you ever find the most caffeinated combination?”

“I’m pretty sure I did, yeah,” Stiles smirks, “uh, some diet Coke, black coffee and an entire can of Monster will do the trick.”

“That doesn’t sound like it goes down smooth.”

“No, not it does not. I spent three days in the hospital.”

Derek laughs again and Stiles laughs with him. The line beeps and even though Stiles is sad to know Derek is hanging up, he’s grinning like a loon.

“Thanks for calling in, Stiles. Talk to you later.”

“Yeah - talk to you later.”

When they hang up, Derek takes another call from a someone who works at a Teavana and talks for way too long about their selection. Once Derek is back on the air alone, he says, “thanks for the recommendations, Nick. And for those of you that called while Nick was on the air, to answer your questions - yes, Stiles did call in and he’s just fine. He did want to warn the general public against consuming black coffee mixed with diet Coke and Monster, however. Apparently, it doesn’t have a lot of nutritional value. I think we can all be thankful that a self-appointed public servant like Stiles has so committed himself to the heroic experimentations of caffeine in his quest to protect us while still getting us through graveyard shifts.”

Stiles covers his red face with his hands while Scott laughs incredulously - Scott is only spurred on when Derek follows that by playing [You Go Down Smooth by Lake Street Dive](http://loserchildhotpants.tumblr.com/post/104126937450/lake-street-dive-you-go-down-smooth). Stiles reclaims his sprawl on the floor, face hot and heart pumping too loudly.

That night, Derek wishes anyone who happened to know Stiles between the ages of twelve and fourteen a goodnight because they have likely seen and heard things no man, woman or child should have to be put through. Scott laughs when Stiles gets flustered and feigns offense.

+

##  **Friday**

Derek plays five song requests and takes three calls before Stiles works up the nerve and just calls in.

“[In Love with Another Man by Jazmine Sullivan](http://loserchildhotpants.tumblr.com/post/97581663650/jazmine-sullivan-in-love-with-another-man) was one of my mom’s favorite songs. There was a piano in the house then - my dad sold it when my mom passed. He just couldn’t look at it once she was gone. But she’d play it on the piano a lot and I would sing it with her,” Stiles laughs a little, “I had no idea what the song was about - I was way too young, but it was fun to sing with her. She would throw her head back and sing so operatically and sometimes we’d improvise the bridge of that song for like a full ten minutes just because I didn’t want to stop singing.”

Derek chuckles and says, “that’s really sweet. She sounds like she was a wonderful woman and mother.”

“She was,” Stiles confirms, “She really was.”

“My mom couldn’t play an instruments, but she sang a lot around the house. Usually love songs too.”

It’s too raw - Stiles can’t ask what happened to Derek and Laura’s mother, it’s too personal, they’re on the air, but _God_ , Stiles wants to. He wants to know if Derek sang with his mother too - he wants to know if, like Stiles, he stopped singing once his mother was gone too. He wants to know what songs his mother liked best and what songs Derek liked to hear his mother sing best.

He wants to know everything about Derek.

“What was her name?”

“Talia. What was your mother’s name?”

“Claudia,” Stiles answers.

“Hmm,” Derek says with an audible smile, “Talia and Claudia. Sounds like a dynamic duo. Maybe they’d have been friends.”

“Yeah,” Stiles breathes out, “Maybe.”

“I’m happy to play your mom’s song for you, Stiles. Thanks for calling in.”

“Always,” Stiles replies.

It’s the very next song Derek plays, introduced by Derek saying kindly, “this one is for you, Ms. Claudia. The world is a little colder for having lost you. We’re thinking of you still.”

Stiles touches the radio like he could be touching Derek’s shoulder in thanks. Thanking him for being so sensitive, for saying something so sweet, for being somehow so available and present while just being a voice on some radio waves. He’d really like to hug Derek tonight.

It’s a lazy night for Scott and Stiles. They mostly hang out with the animals in the kennel and listen to people call in with their requests, tell stories and share their dedications. It’s a sweet, slow show.

When Scott locks up for the night and they both get into the Jeep, Stiles turns on the radio, already set to CF107.9 and Derek is closing up for the night as well.

“It’s been another enchanting _Witching Hour_ with you all, but the dawn is upon us and I must go. I hope you all find some time to rest and have something to look forward to as the sun comes up. I wanna say goodnight to all of you that have lost someone. I hope you rest well. This last one goes out to Laura Hale - the greatest big sister a guy could ask for. I love you, Laura.”

A live recording of [Sister by The Dave Matthews Band](http://loserchildhotpants.tumblr.com/post/140227926895/dave-matthews-band-sister-live-at-radio-city) comes on and Stiles blinks tears from his eyes without really knowing why they’re there. The song feels so personal, he feels so suddenly close to Derek. Like he’s catching a glimpse of Derek’s heart. Like a light left on in a small neighborhood home at a late, late hour - a secret that’s warm and could mean so many things. Makes him _feel_ so many things.

The guitar is so crystal clear, the sun is coming up through the trees lining the highway and Scott is sleeping with crossed arms, his head against the window.

There’s something so sweet about Derek being someone’s baby brother.

Stiles wonders what Derek looks like now, in that seat at the desk, headphones on and lines turned off for the night.

He wonders if Derek is thinking of him too.

+

##  **Saturday**

Stiles doesn’t leave Derek alone the entire night. As soon as he and Scott walk into the building and turn the radio on, Stiles’ hand is on his phone, ready to dial in. Derek barely gets through his opening before taking Stiles’ call.

“Stiles,” he says gladly - they’re on the air and while Stiles dreads hearing his own voice again, he’s ecstatic to hear Derek’s, “I wonder what you could possibly be calling for on Sleepover Saturday.”

“Listen, I just want to talk about Obi-wan with you.”

“Oh, Stiles -”

“This doesn’t have to get ugly, Derek. This can be civil, but it’s a talk we need to have.”

“This could get intense, Stiles, are you sure you want to start this conversation?”

“Oh - dude, I am so ready.”

He is not ready, as it turns out.

The conversation about loving Obi-wan turns into a full blown ethical debate about whether or not Obi-wan was a true Jedi, how he failed Anakin for having loved him too much and not protected him enough. Scott looks lost and endeared, laughing whenever Stiles raises his voice in frustration. Four other callers come in and it becomes a group discussion on the air that takes up an entire half hour.

Derek and Stiles are on different sides of the debate, but all the callers wind up laughing and yelling at some points and when Derek takes everyone off the air and starts playing music again, he keeps Stiles on the line. Their debate stays private and Stiles finds himself laughing into tears at how animated Derek gets about the morality of the Jedi.

He plays [Oh Lord by Foxy Shazam](http://loserchildhotpants.tumblr.com/post/95861435035/foxy-shazam-oh-lord), [She’s Got You High by Mumm-Ra](http://loserchildhotpants.tumblr.com/post/85333764465/mumm-ra-shes-got-you-high) and [All Hail by The Devil Makes Three](http://loserchildhotpants.tumblr.com/post/82607353316/the-devil-makes-three-all-hail) before begrudgingly taking other callers - for which he, without explanation, keeps Stiles on the air for. People share some funny stories - embarrassing ones, good pranks they’ve pulled (Stiles has a lot to add to that particular discussion), favorite summer memories, favorite celebrities and at some point, someone calls in and asks Derek, “hey - why is Stiles still on the air?”

“Listen, Stiles has been an invaluable asset to the show while I’ve probably run it into the ground. He is co-hosting tonight.”

“I am?”

“He is?”

“Yes, yes he is.”

“What is he?” the caller snorts, “Your boyfriend or something?”

“What if he was?” Derek asks, faux offense in his voice, “There’s a lot to say about a nice voice. I bet Stiles is a very handsome guy.”

“That is true,” Stiles interjects, “I am very, very handsome.”

Everyone is able to hear Scott laugh in the background.

“Questionable ethics in regard to the Star Wars universe, but otherwise seems like a real gentleman,” Derek jokes.

“Hey!”

Derek laughs, takes the other caller off the line and says, “this next one’s for you, Stiles!”

He plays [Deadly Handsome Man by Marcy Playground](http://loserchildhotpants.tumblr.com/post/82724425436/marcy-playground-deadly-handsome-man) and Stiles moves the phone away from his mouth so as not to blow out Derek’s eardrum with how loudly he cackles.

As the night wears on, Stiles talks to Derek about how he and Scott listen every night - how he’s eager to start school in the fall and Derek talks about Laura’s degree in communications. Stiles argues about why Star Trek The Next Generation is his favorite timeline of the series and Derek scolds him for not truly appreciating the Original Series.

Stiles doesn’t notice that as they talk, the songs slow down. But Scott notices.

[Flying High by Jem](http://loserchildhotpants.tumblr.com/post/140226635765/jem-flying-high) plays, [Vance Joy’s cover of I Know Places](http://loserchildhotpants.tumblr.com/post/118387596040/vance-joy-i-know-places-taylor-swift-cover), then [Come Out of the Shade by The Perishers](http://loserchildhotpants.tumblr.com/post/140226361355/the-perishers-come-out-of-the-shade) and then [Somewhere Only We Know by Keane](http://loserchildhotpants.tumblr.com/post/88230222360/keane-somewhere-only-we-know)…

Scott stays quiet while Stiles and Derek talk the night away, smiling when Stiles gesticulates widely and blushes.

When Scott signals to Stiles that they should be leaving shortly, Stiles frowns, unaware that he’d spent so much time on the phone with Derek.

“Uhm… I - uh, I gotta go. Scott’s closing up for the night.”

“Oh,” Derek says softly, his voice a little gravelly from talking so much, “I should be closing up too. Thanks for making this fun, Stiles.”

Stiles smiles dreamily at the middle distance and replies, “glad to. Anytime.”

When Scott and Stiles get in the car, a few more songs play, then Derek closes.

“It’s been another enchanting _Witching Hour_ with you all, but the dawn is upon us and I must go. I hope you all find some time to rest and have something to look forward to as the sun comes up. I think I get now why Laura loves her job so much. Anyway - goodnight, Stiles.”

Stiles jumps a little, his heart kicking into overdrive and without saying anything else before or afterward, Derek closes the night by playing [Head Over Heels by Digital Daggers](http://loserchildhotpants.tumblr.com/post/81621387793/digital-daggers-head-over-heels).

“You should use Confessional Sunday to ask him out,” Scott says at the end of the song.

“Are you out of your mind?”

“Why am I out of my mind? He’s so _obviously_ into you and you _like_ him. You should call tomorrow and just tell him you like him.”

Stiles opens his mouth to argue more, but Scott holds a tired hand up to him and says, “dude, I am too exhausted to make a powerpoint presentation on all the reasons my idea is a really good idea. Just fuckin’ do it.”

Shutting his mouth, Stiles wants to look cranky, but can’t because a shy smile insists on spreading there instead.

+

##  **Sunday**

Stiles does a lot of ‘dry runs,’ with Scott that day - which Scott objects to. Not because he doesn’t want to help Stiles practice his confession, but because he doesn’t like the phrase ‘dry run.’ Stiles smacks him upside the head and spends most of the day twitching and blushing and tripping over his words.

“You’re gonna be great, dude - you don’t have to sweat this much.”

“How can you be so sure!?” Stiles exclaims, changing his shirt for the fifth time despite knowing Derek won’t be physically there to see him, “I mean - what if it all goes horribly wrong? What if he was flirting like - platonically? Like a joke or something? What if I put him in a totally awkward position on live radio air??”

“Dude, people eat this shit up - there’s nothing better than a live love confession -”

Stiles turns beet red and yells at Scott for using the “L-word,” and they practice for an hour longer while Stiles tries to physically shake his anxiety out of his limbs.

That night, Stiles is pacing the floor, avidly watching the clock and Scott is hardly getting any work done either - they’re both too anxious. When it finally strikes three, they both look at the radio, Stiles’ fingers on the dial button - the number already punched in.

“Good evening, listeners and welcome to _The Witching Hour_. I’m your host, Laura Hale and it looks like we’ve got some clouds tonight, but I’m sure we’ll be able to keep each other fine company despite the weather.”

“What?” Scott asks no one in particular.

Stiles’ disappointment is palpable. His whole body slackens and Scott turns worried eyes to him.

“H-Hey, Stiles, it’s… it’ll be okay…”

“No, I - yeah. No, I know. I know. Thanks, Scott,” Stiles says sadly.

He closes out his phone app, puts the screen to sleep and slips his phone back into his jean pocket with resignation. Then he goes to the kennel and takes out one of the cats he likes. He settles on the floor, forcing Scott to sweep around him while Stiles puts the cat in his lap and pets her through Laura’s show. The confessions are typical for a Sunday night. She hands out sound advice, plays some nice indie music, but…

…for Stiles, it seems like suddenly, all the magic is gone. He’s numb.

He recalls a time when he was little and at the beach with a childhood friend he’s since lost touch with. The friend had gasped and said, “shooting star!” Stiles had whipped his head up to see it, but it had already gone by.

He’s feeling now a lot like he did then.

At the end of the show, Laura wishes her brother Derek a goodnight and thanks him for “holding down the fort,” while she was away.

Scott sleeps the entire way home and when the show is over, Stiles realizes he didn’t hear a single song. His mind elsewhere the entire time.

+

##  **Monday**

Stiles sleeps til well past noon and spends the afternoon moping around the house. Explaining the situation to his father proves a lot harder than he first thought and only depresses him more. His father offers a lot of comfort, but, as it turns out, cannot magically produce Derek Hale, so the comfort is appreciated, but doesn’t accomplish a lot.

They keep the radio off as Stiles drives them to Scott’s work building that evening.

“I gotta go get our tickets,” Stiles tells Scott upon dropping him off at work, “I’ll be back in like an hour.”

“Okay. You’re sure you’re alright to drive?”

“Yeah, dude, I’m just… sad. I’ll be fine.”

“Okay,” Scott surrenders.

Stiles makes it to the address Derek gave him and it’s a tall building with several media offices. He walks inside and takes the elevator to the third floor, which is where the sign on the ground floor indicates Laura’s office will be.

When she turns on some music, she comes out of her booth and greets him.

She’s tall, has big dark eyes and long brown hair. She has a lovely, wide smile and Stiles has never been so disappointed to meet a beautiful woman.

“You must be Stiles!” Laura says, “Derek left a note about you. Congratulations on winning the tickets!”

“Yeah,” Stiles answers awkwardly, “Thanks.”

He signs some contract saying he received the tickets and blah, blah, blah - none of it matters. He takes an envelope from her with the tickets inside and as he’s walking out of the office, he turns the envelope over and sees a phone number.

He looks over his shoulder and calls out to her, “hey - do you need this number?”

She smiles again, walking into her booth, “no - but you do.”

Stiles’ heart skips a beat.

He doesn’t even dare to hope.

As soon as he’s outside the building, he dials the number and waits.

Two rings.

“Stiles?”

“…how did you know it was me?”

“I… recognized your phone number.”

Stiles laughs and relief floods his entire body. His face is hot and his heart is beating hard against his chest, but he feels light enough to fly.

“I - look, I know I’m a stranger and really weird and definitely did not make a great first impression, but would you… uhm… would it be okay if I… would you want to get coffee… sometime? With me?”

There’s a pause, then Derek replies, “so long as there’s no diet Coke or Monster in it, I’d really like that.”

Stiles laughs again and asks, “what, uhm - what’s a good time for you?”

“Well, you’re gonna be with Scott tonight, right?”

“Yeah.”

“How do you think us going to get coffee and bringing some back to him would go over?”

Stiles blushes deeply, combing a hand through his hair, “oh my God, yeah - yes, that would - he would so be down with that. I’m… I’ll be at the Starbucks at the intersection of Calhoun and Veteran’s. I’m wearing a Batman jacket.”

There’s a smile in Derek’s voice when he responds, “sounds like a plan.”

+

As it turns out, Derek Hale is breathtakingly handsome.

Like.

Really, _really_ handsome.

Stiles is about to trip over some clumsy words upon first seeing him, but luckily, Derek Hale is also a really, really to-the-point sort of guy and kisses him before he can get a word in.

It’s a good night.

**Author's Note:**

> Also, in case any of y’all missed it, the really lovely [@solitarianknight](https://tmblr.co/mlfwaD9lRv0qjdEBfBSO9dQ) made the playlist for this fic, which can be listened to [right here](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fplaylist%3Flist%3DPL8Bcs-_DrPubBWlEcrPjwyFlXYgKjLF4L&t=ZDVlNTI3Y2I3OWNhM2U3ZGQ2NjU2YWI0YTk0MDJlZGJkNzU5ZDJkOCxWcTFaMDJEUQ%3D%3D)!


End file.
